Traveling Companion

Cora, the young woman at the center of this story, has relocated to Rome, where she works as a waitress in a disco. When we meet her, she is at at odds with what her new life has turned out to be in the new environment. When her friend Ada asks her to help her follow her retired father, who is, for all appearances, in the first stages of the onset of Alzheimer's disease, she accepts reluctantly because of the good pay. Little does she realize her life is about to be changed.

For Cora, what seemed a dull job following Cosimo, suddenly, takes a new dimension as the older man decides to embark on a trip. Not knowing what to do, Cora also boards the train that takes them to a remote town. Cosimo, who seems to be on a voyage of reconnection with his past, goes aimlessly from one town to the next, until Cora makes contact with him. When both are caught by the rain in a covered tennis court, she is able to look at the diary he keeps and discovers a picture of herself among the pages of the book. It's then when we realize that for better, or for worse, these two have more in common than what we previously thought.

Peter Del Monte, the director, and co-writer of the film, shows a great affinity for the job. He is never obtrusive, as he lets the story envelop the viewer in what starts as a disjointed narrative. The film is a great triumph for Asia Argento, who as Cora, goes through a series of emotions she didn't know she was capable of experiencing. Her relationship with Cosimo starts as an annoyance, but the ties between them grow as they traverse the Italian interior. Michel Piccoli, who almost has no dialog, is perfect as the older man. He is losing his mind and can't relate to what is happening to him. Mr. Piccoli gives an underplayed performance that shows all the complexities of Cosimo in this endearing story.

The film shows a new talent in the Italian cinema, Peter Del Monte.